Monday 7 March 1663/64

Up betimes, and the Duke being gone abroad to-day, as we heard by a messenger, I spent the morning at my office writing fair my yesterday’s work till almost 2 o’clock (only Sir G. Carteret coming I went down a little way by water towards Deptford, but having more mind to have my business done I pretended business at the ‘Change, and so went into another boat), and then, eating a bit, my wife and I by coach to the Duke’s house, where we saw “The Unfortunate Lovers;” but I know not whether I am grown more curious than I was or no, but I was not much pleased with it, though I know not where to lay the fault, unless it was that the house was very empty, by reason of a new play at the other house. Yet here was my Lady Castlemayne in a box, and it was pleasant to hear an ordinary lady hard by us, that it seems did not know her before, say, being told who she was, that “she was well enough.” Thence home, and I ended and sent away my letter to Mr. Coventry (having first read it and had the opinion of Sir W. Warren in the case), and so home to supper and to bed, my cold being pretty well gone, but my eye remaining still snare and rhumey, which I wonder at, my right eye ayling nothing.

"It's fine, Sam'l..." she brushes off his restraining hand." "An illness taken in his office's service I might add...Look at his poor eye. And by the way, Sir George...What are you doing here? Perfectly healthy as you clearly are."

Feisty...I like that, Carteret notes. Hmmn...True Pepys is valuable to the Navy, but if I were to dismiss him and hint to his pretty missus that a visit from her might soften my adamant heart...

"I ended and sent away my letter to Mr. Coventry (having first read it and had the opinion of Sir W. Warren in the case)"

After Jeannine's informative post yesterday on the contents of Sam's letter to Coventry, I guess we can assume that Sam wasn't really after Sir W's impartial opinion on the matter of the masts. Could there be another pair of gloves on their way? Or perhaps a nice pair of boots?

Striking language. "Snare" probably means "snared" entangled, unless it is an editorial misreading. It is tempting, but probably too far-fetched, to think Sam is importing a meaning from his work on masts,where "snar" means "ruggedness in any tree or wood," such as a knot (OED), suggesting swollen.

"my Lady Castlemayne in a box"Opening this page today, blurry eyed & before caffeine, the first thing I saw was "My Lady Castlemaine in a box". My immediate vision was that she was in one of those McDonald's "happy meals" and some kid was tearing into the box, pulling out a little toy and screaming with joy, "look mom, I got Lady Castlemaine in the box".....thank goodness they didn't have that kind of marketeering those days. Today we'd see Sandwich's picture (where else) on loaves of bread, Carteret's on real estate ads.......

"I went down a little way by water towards Deptford"Then he gets into another boat, gets back to his wife, has a bite to eat, then up to the Theatre, he must have had his skates on, I think most plays started at about 4 in the afternoon?, bit like pulling a sicky to watch the football.

Assuming that Sam still finds Lady C ravishing I think that he means that it was amusing to hear the woman give grudging and perhaps catty respect to Castlemayne's looks. So "pleasant" would mean "pleasingly amusing" in that context. Is there any OED ore to be mined supporting that?

1. Watery matter secreted by the mucous glands or membranes, such as collects in or drops from the nose, eyes, and mouth, etc., and which, when abnormal, was supposed to cause disease; hence, an excessive or morbid 'defluxion' of any kind.

rume;2. spec. A mucous discharge caused by taking cold (sometimes distinguished as hot or cold rheum); hence, a cold in the head or the lungs; catarrh. Chiefly pl. (occasionally used = Rheumatic pains).

‘curious, adj. < Old French . . a word which has been used from time to time with many shades of meaning . . . . 2. Careful as to the standard of excellence; difficult to satisfy; particular; nice, fastidious. Obs.a. esp. in food, clothing, matters of taste. . . 1605 W. Camden Remaines i. 232 There was one that was very curious in keeping of his beard . .

†6. a. Taking the interest of a connoisseur in any branch of art; skilled as a connoisseur or virtuoso. Obs. . .1644 J. Evelyn Mem. (1857) I. 69 Monsieur Morine..one of the most skilful and curious persons in France for his rare collection of shells, flowers, and insects. . .1740 tr. C. Rollin Anc. Hist. (ed. 2) VII. 293 He was exceedingly curious in pictures and designs by great masters . .………….Re: ‘ . . pleasant to hear an ordinary lady … . .’

‘pleasant, adj. < Anglo-Norman . .5. Amusing, comical; ridiculous. Now arch. and rare. . . 1688 S. Penton Guardian's Instr. 48 It was pleasant to see how my Son trembled to see the Proctour come in. . . 1760 S. Foote Minor ii. 73 They took him off at the play-house, some time ago; pleasant, but wrong. Public characters shou'd not be sported with . . ‘…………..(OED)